SIR Tailor: Top-Class Fashion in the Heart of Saigon

I love living in Vietnam, but as a foreigner there are some things that have always been a struggle. Case in point: tailored clothing. With my bigger frame, my body build is different from most of the men around me. During my 10 years in the country, I can’t count how many times I’ve gone to a tailor for custom clothing and left feeling disappointed.

Often it’s not just the fit that’s the problem, it’s the style. Growing up in Europe and travelling the world has given me an appreciation for the elegance of European clothing. Many tailors in Vietnam, though technically excellent with details, are comfortable working only with a limited set of styles.

SIR Tailor, as I learned, offers the customer a completely different experience. The shop, nestled between the brand-name clothing stores on Ho Chi Minh City’s Nguyen Hue street, immediately made an impression. The store was spacious, the displayed clothes were impeccable and the ambience was calm and elegant. It was clear from the start that SIR Tailor was remaking the idea of the Vietnamese tailor.

Suited to Perfection

When you see a good suit, what do you see? The measure of a good suit lies in both the broad strokes and the details: the buttonholes can matter as much as the cut; the lining can be on par with the fabric; the corners of the pocket must be as perfect as the width of the collar. All of these details ultimately add up to the most important elements of all: balance and proportion.

It’s this idea of style and balance that is central to the philosophy of SIR Tailor. And thanks to the founders’ incredible knowledge about these intricate details, SIR Tailor succeeds on all accounts. With a team that specialises in all forms of men’s clothing (suits, shirts, pants, chinos and polos are just some of their in-shop offerings), along with shirts and suits available for women, the minds behind SIR Tailor pride themselves on being able to give their customers the very best.

First and foremost, providing the best means sourcing world-class materials. Around 95% of the cloth, buttons, thread and other sartorial elements are imported from Europe, mainly from Italy.

SIR Tailor is able to use over 1,000 different types of the world’s highest-quality fabrics, from linen and wool to silk and many more.

A Tailor-Made Process

SIR Tailor isn’t just rethinking the way suits look in Vietnam: it’s altering the process of making them as well. In most tailors I’ve been to in Vietnam, the experience is generally the same: I go into the shop, tell the tailor what I want, and the tailor takes my body measurements. In a week or so, the suit is made and I return for a fitting. Final adjustments are made and I receive the suit soon after, whether it’s exactly what I want or not.

The attention to detail the workers at SIR Tailor pay to the clothing is also noticeable in the customer service. Rather than simply telling the tailor what I would like, I met with an experienced and knowledgeable consultant rather than the tailor himself. I discussed what I had in mind (a pair of casual trousers) and my consultant offered his opinions based on my body type and his experience with different styles.

Over the course of two weeks I returned for three fittings to make sure the pants were perfectly suited for my image and lifestyle. While this is a longer process than I’ve experienced at most Vietnamese tailors, when I received the pants I ordered, I was completely satisfied.

However, the customer’s relationship with SIR Tailor doesn’t just end when the clothing is delivered. The company’s business model includes a guarantee that, should the customer lose or gain weight, the tailor will alter the clothing to the client’s new specifications. Simply put, this is a company that prides itself on building strong relationships with every customer, so they can look and feel their best during every part of their life.

SIR Tailor’s philosophy is simple: Dress As You Breathe. And as I learned, with my clothes in SIR Tailor’s qualified and stylish hands, I can certainly breathe easier.